Yesterday a friend took me out to breakfast at my favorite local place -- Stony Creek Koney Island, affectionately called the Stony Koney. Today I took a friend out to lunch there.

Our waitress, recognizing me as a regular spoke to me in a quiet voice as she provided the bill. It seems that she was not supposed to learn this until after they closed today, but this is the last day they're going to be open.

I thought they were doing well. They're usually full of people. I've eaten breakfast, lunch, and dinner there -- occasionally all three over the same weekend. This is the place I bring out of town friends and family.

It breaks my heart. I like all the waitstaff I've met there. I like the food quite well. I usually ordered the same thing for breakfast, but everything I've tried has been good. The prices were reasonable.

I'm sorry you have to lose that, it is sad. I had something similar recently where one of my favorite restaurants (I'd been going for over 20 years and they would hug me when I came by visiting when I lived out of town even!) didn't close but was sold and a new staff ultimately came it. I tried to hold out and pretend it was still okay but the food was different and not what I still liked and where before I might have switched dishes and tried to make do out of history and loyalty (whether right or wrongly), now I just finally let go, I suppose the way they had to do. I don't know which is worse the whole thing just being gone or it still being there but irrevocably changed with the same facade.

Hmmm... If it's going to deteriorate and not be the same, I think it's better that it be gone. At least that way I have the memories. (Unlike a certain radio station I'd sing the praises of, which I now refer to as "the Evil station".)